Iron County register., 1887-10-20

public money by loose and extravaganf
system of expenditures which has no parallel
in our history. 1t m2lnfafned an un6QuAi
system Of taxation for the avowed purpose OF
obstructing international exchanges ana %
the same time with g1aring Inconsistency, It
maid subsidies out Of the public treasury to en-
courage foreign commerce. It employed the
military power to control elections by the
people, 4nd 70 overawe the tr1nunais ap-
pointed by law to make the returns II
established and abolished courts ana commis-
sious and increased or diminished their Jur1s-
dictions to meet political emergencies; and,
under the decisions and awards OF these tenn
porary and irresponsible tribunals It paid
many millions OF dollars out Of the public
treasury on claims of at least doubtful validity,
held by people living In part OF the country
where Republican votes were sorely needed
Up to the last moment OF its supremacy, It
habitual1y used official power for partisan pur-
poses, and made its placemen an organized
body Of political serfs, every one of whom was
compelled by the tnexorable law of the party
to contribute his money and his personal serv-
ices whenever demanded
It is not proposed here to attempt an emu
meration of all the obnoxious measures and
arbitrary practices of the Republican party
while in power, but simply to mention a few,
for the purpose Of indicating the spirit In which
it conducted public affairs. It has left the
country a legacy of bad laws and vicious
methods Of administration which it viii take
many years Of earnest labor to correct, and it
is evident that this task can be best
performed by those who have no per-
sonal or political responsibility for the
evils that are to be remedied The reconstruc-
tion Of the navy and the restoration OF the
merchant marine are not likely to be accom-
plished by continuation OF the same policy
which reduced them to their present condition;
nor is it probable that such reformation of
the civil service as will make it thoroughly
honest and effective, and place official respon-
sibility above partisan oblig ations, can or viii
be effected by the same political party which
persisently pursued the course that made re-
form necessary. It would be an act Of folly to
intrust the preservation Of the public domain
to the same men who. when they had the
power, despoiled this great heritage OF the
people. The same influences which surrounded
and controlled them then surround and con-
troll them now. and will continue TO do so.
Few questions Of purely internal policy are
of greater or more immediate importance to
the people than those which relate directly or
Indirectly to the public lands. These questions
are of supreme importance to that large
number OF our citizens who are without other
means than the wages of their labor, and
who are struggling to secure homes
for themselves and families Unless
the comparatively small quantity of arabic
land now left in the hands of the Government
is carefully protected against the encroach-
ments of mere spectators and the fraudulent
evasions OF the law which have already re-
suited the acquisition of many millions of
acres the time is not far distant when it will be
impossible for the surplus Iaborers in the older
communities to secure cheap homes in the
West; and then we shall begin to experience,
in a worse form than ever heretofore, those So
cial and political evils which naturally spring
from dense and idle populations. The situa-
ton imperatively demands the careful revision
and strict enforcement of the laws relating to
the disposition OF the public domain, so that
"a Or
punished, and cheap homes and good titles
guaranteed to the honest settler; the reclama-
ton Of lands Illegally occupied or claimed by
individuals and corporations, foreign and do
mesttc; and just and speedy settlement of all
matters in dispute between the Government
and the subsidized railroad companies; the en-
actment and rigid enforcement Of laws to COM
pei corporations to take patents for all
the lands actually and legally earned by them
under grants from the Government, that
they may be subject to taxation by the States
and Territories in which they are situated; and,
finally, the adoption Of a Just and enlightened
policy for the civilization and Government of
the Indians within our jurisdiction, in order
that all the substantial rights OF these depend
ent people may be amply protected without
unnecessarily retarding the develop ment OF
our new States and Territories.
Much has already been done during the pres
ent Administration to reclaim lands condition
ally granted to railroad and other corporations,
to annuI fraudulent entries, to prevent unlaw-
full Enclosures, and to protect the timbers and
minerals upon the public domain; but the work
is still incomplete, and it will require addition
al legislation and constant vigilance upon the
part of those charged with the administration
of the laws, to prevent the improper appropria-
ton Of large part of the most valuable terri
tory belonging to the Government. In
order to do this the cooperation of the
legislative and Executive departments is alb
solutely necessary, and past experience has
shown that this cooperation, except to a linn
tied extent, could not be secured until after a
Democratic Administration was inaugurated.
The foundations of the existing system, under
which immense landed estates have been ac-
Quired by foreign and domestic corporations
and syndicates, were laid by the Republican
party, and the fraudulent practices which have
despoiled the public domain OF its most fertile
and valuable sections were begun and contn-
ued while Republican officials alone were
charged with the duty Of enforcing the laws and
protecting the interests of the Government and
the people. Even now, when the magnitude of
the evil is almost universally recognized, and
the demand for immediate reform is urgently
pressed by the homeless labor of the country,
the Republican Senate either refuses to act at
all or proce eds slowly and reluctantly to the
consideration OF the subject On the other
hand. the Democratic House has been earnest
and active In its efforts to secure such changes
in the laws as viii dedicate the public lands to
actual settlers under the Homestead law, and
has even gone so far as to amend its rules in
order to give such measures preference
over other business. 1t has passed bills
FORGETTING and restoring to the Govern
ment. for the benefit of actual set
tiers, more than one hundred million
acres of land, only a part of which has been
concurred in by the Senate; and it has passed
and sent to the Senate bill to repeal the
Timber Culture. Presumption and Desert Land
laws, under which most of the great frauds
were committed. The course OF the Interior
Department, under the direction of o DEM
ocratic Secretary and Commissioner Of the
Land Office, is familiar to the country, and
need not be commented upon here. It has
been uniformly II the interest of faithful and
honest administration of the Iawin spirit of
friendship for the bona fde settler and claim
ant. and hostility to the fraudulent adventurer
ana speculator. In view Of what has actually
occurred in the past, and considering the pres
ent attitudes of the two parties with reference
to the subject, there is scarcely room for a
doubt as to which one Of them would be the
safest custodian Of the public interests, and the
most likely to protect the honest claim of the
humble citizen against the predatory schemes
of organized capital and political infiu-
ence.
Closely connected with the question of reve-
nue. reduction Is the question Of honesty and
economy in the public expenditures. That
the ordinary expenditures of the Government,
not including pensions payments upon the
principal and interest of the war debt, have
enormously outgrown the increase of popula-
ton and public business, Is q proposition
which can be mathematically demonstrated;
and as this is reversal Of the rule that pre-
walls under sound and healthy conditions Of
the public service, 1t proves the existence of
some vice in our present system that ought to
be eradicated- Since the fourth Of March,
1861 the Democratic party has not had control
of botht the Legislative and Executive depart
ments Of the Government for single day. nor
has it, since that date, had control OF both